Fireheart's Journey
by wild4warriors101
Summary: Deputy Fireheart's world is turned upside down when he discovers that Bluestar has greencough and will die within a half-moon. But what happens when a gorgeous loner shows up hunting in ThunderClan's territory and becomes an apprentice? Will he just be a mentor? Or will he be something more?


The wind whistled in Fireheart's ears and caused his fur to ripple. He stood on the rock, proudly overlooking his imaginary clan as leader. He shook his flaming orange head and focused at the task at paw.

A fat, juicy vole moseyed across a sunlit rock, searching for insects. Fireheart dropped to the ground and stretched out his paws, feeling the earth beneath his unsheathed claws.

He sprung upon the creature and it was dead from the first swipe of his paw. A smile curled on his lips and he took the thing in his jaws.

Fireheart gathered his fresh-kill in his mouth and trotted back to camp.

He placed his kill in the fresh-kill pile and took his, Graystripe's and Ravenwing's fair share to the warrior den.

Graystripe was sharing tongues with his mate, Diamondfur, in the corner. "Hello, lovecats." Fireheart teased the cats.

Diamondfur shot a glare at Fireheart before lovingly licking Graystripe's nose.

"I must tend to the kits. I will see you later, my dear Graystripe." Diamondfur purred before striding out of the den.

"How are the kits?" Fireheart asked.

"Oh, they're alright." Graystripe replied, beaming at the mention of the kits that he proudly fathered.

Fireheart walked over to his friend and nuzzled him. Graystripe did the same and stretched out his back legs.

"What did you catch us?" Graystripe asked.

Fireheart tossed him a chaffinch in reply and bent down to enjoy his own vole.

A while later, Ravenwing walked in and meowed in greeting to his friends.

"Hey, Ravenwing." Graystripe and Fireheart replied with full mouths.

"Did you get anything for me?" Ravenwing asked.

Fireheart nodded to a rabbit and Ravenwing began to eat it.

"Where were you? Off to see Shadoweye?" Graystripe teased.

"Maybe," Ravenwing said with a smile.

Shadoweye was Ravenwing's beautiful mate. A few moons ago, we had discovered that she was going to be pregnant, and now she is heavily pregnant. So Ravenwing likes to spend lots of time with her.

"How is the lovely she-cat?" Fireheart asked.

"She's perfect. The kits will come within a moon, Yellowfang says." Ravenwing said with a grin.

Fireheart smiled slightly and went back to his vole. He felt a little sad since all his friends had kits and mates but he hadn't even met a cat he liked yet.

"Fireheart! Bluestar needs to see you!" A caterwaul rose from outside the den.

Fireheart looked at his friends. "See you soon," He meowed and jumped out of the den.

He stopped outside of Bluestar's den. "Bluestar?" He asked.

"Come in, young one." Her voice floated to his ears.

He walked inside and found Bluestar lying in the corner, cleaning her silky fur.

"Good moonrise," Fireheart said.

"Same to you." Bluestar croaked to her loyal deputy. She sounded ill.

"You sound sick, Bluestar. Maybe you should see Yellowfang?" Fireheart asked.

"This illness is not within Yellowfang's power to heal." Bluestar mewed.

A feeling of dread overcame Fireheart as she said those words. He know only one disease uncurable by Yellowfang... greencough.

"Yes, I have greencough." Bluestar confessed, as if reading his thoughts.

Fireheart sunk to the ground, tears leaking down his fur. He sobbed into his orange paws and tried to imagine life without Bluestar.

He felt Bluestar's body leaning gently against his. He tried to look at her, but his sight was too blurred from crying so hard.

"Come now, I didn't teach you to break down at the death of a cat, now did I, young one?" Bluestar asked, her tone soft but her words serious.

"You're not just a cat! You were my mentor! My leader! You're like a- like a mother to me!" Fireheart exclaimed.

Bluestar nuzzled Fireheart and soothed him with soft words. "_Hush little Fireheart, don't say a word. I will make sure that you don't get hurt. We can stay here for a while. I miss how you used to smile. I know you're scared but you are brave. And when my death comes a leader you shall make_." She sang in a sweet voice.

Fireheart drew himself up and sighed. "How long do you have?" He asked, afraid to know the answer.

"Yellowfang believes I will be in StarClan within a half-moon." Bluestar said.

Her words were like claws in his ribs, but he stood up. "Alright," He said and walked to the exit of the den.

"Thank you for coming to me, young one," Bluestar called.

"Yowl if you need anything." Fireheart said and bounded out of the den. 

Fireheart woke to the rays of the early morning sun shining on his face. He stretched his legs and yawned, in a few seconds of bliss before he remembered.

_"Yes, I have greencough." Bluestar confessed, as if reading his thoughts._

He immediately wanted to go back to sleep. Why did StarClan have to do this? Bluestar was the best leader ThunderClan had ever had.

Fireheart decided he needed to get out. He silently stood up and moved over the bodies of sleeping cats.

Once he got outside, he saw that the sun was just barely peaking over the treetops. He slipped through the underbrush and exited the Clan.

The forest was a field of new and interesting smells. He stuck his head in the air and took a deep sniff. He smelled the river, the trees, the faint Thunderpath scent... and something else.

Fireheart sniffed again and smelled it. It was a cat... a she-cat he could tell, but not a cat from ThunderClan or any other Clan.

The scent grew stronger as he strolled. It was so close he could almost taste it.

A flash of grey darted in the corner of Fireheart's eye. He whipped around, but saw nothing. He saw the glint of claws in the early sun and then felt a strong body collide with his.

He screeched and clawed aimlessly at the figure. It scratched air and the cat sank her teeth into his shoulder.

Fireheart yowled and threw the cat off of him. He hissed and the cat jumped back on him, pinning him to the ground.

He was trapped. The cat's sharp claw was at his throat, ready to pierce it if he moved.

Fireheart wailed for mercy, but the cat showed none.

"Who are you?" The cat asked.

"I could ask you the same thing." I said.

"I'm not fucking around. Tell me who you are." The cat demanded. Her claw pressed against his throat, and a drop of blood ran down his chest.

"Fireheart of ThunderClan." Fireheart wheezed.

"A ThunderClan cat? You'll be all the more fun to devour." The cat hissed.

Fireheart went limp for a second but then flipped the she-cat onto her back. "I could say the same thing about you, fox dung." He snapped.

"May StarClan kill you." The cat muttered under her breath. She scratched his underbelly and caused him to fall.

"Who are you," Fireheart seethed.

"I have no name." The she-cat said, inspecting her blood-stained claws.

"Of?" Fireheart asked.

"CrapClan." She retorted.

"OF?!" He pressed.

"Of nothing. I'm a loner, there." The nameless cat spat.

Fireheart surveyed the cat. Grey with blue eyes and a pink nose. Lean. No scars. Seemed to be healthy. Very small.

"I'm taking you back to my Clan." He announced and took the cat by the scruff. She hissed and tried to claw at him, but to no avail.

When the pair got back to camp, many cats were awake. Bluestar saw them and was puzzled.

"Who is this?" Bluestar demanded with a crackle in her voice.

"She's a nameless cat. Claims to be a loner." Fireheart reported.

The she-cat hissed at Fireheart and clawed his chest. He swore and in his shock, dropped the cat.

The cat bolted for the exit, but Fireheart grabbed her by the scruff and she didn't get away.

Bluestar inspected the cat. "About six moons." She observed.

Fireheart looked across the camp. Many cats were surveying the intruder.

"I'll have to call a Clan meeting." Bluestar muttered and leaped over to Highrock.

"Let all those cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath Highrock for a Clan meeting!" Bluestar crowed.

All the cats did so and Bluestar began.

"First off, I'd like to say that Fireheart has found a cat in the woods. She looks healthy and strong and is around six moons. I have decided to take this cat in and make her an apprentice." Bluestar said.

Fireheart stepped onto Highrock, still carrying the soon-to-be apprentice. He was surprised on Bluestar's fast decision. He dropped the cat on Highrock. The cat looked dazed.

"From now on, this cat shall be known as Silverpaw." Bluestar announced. Whispers spread throughout the Clan.

"Fireheart, I assign you as her mentor. I trust that you will pass on your teachings to this young cat." Bluestar said.

Fireheart nodded and touched noses with the young cat. She felt very warm and gave him a strange feeling.

"And another announcement," Bluestar sighed. "I will be resigning from the leader position. I have come down with a case of greencough, and I think it would be best if our deputy, Fireheart, took on the responsibility." Cries of shock arose.

"SILENCE, CLAN!" Bluestar shouted. The Clan immediately fell silent.

"Fireheart will be making his journey to the Moonstone in two sunrises. Graystripe, Ravenwing, and Silverpaw will accompany him." Bluestar announced.

Fireheart was shocked. Already leader? In two sunrises? He was giddy with pleasure, but then it hit him...

Bluestar was going to die.

In a sunrise.


End file.
